PM to push Garnaut report at G8 summit

The Prime Minister flies out to the G8 summit of world leaders tomorrow with the Garnaut report tucked firmly under his arm. Climate change will be high on the agenda along with the other components of what the UN Secretary General calls the 'interconnected challenges' of food prices and development.

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TONY JONES, PRESENTER: Well, the Prime Minister flies out to the G8 Summit of world leaders tomorrow with the Garnaut Report tucked firmly under his arm. Climate change will be high on the agenda, along with the other components of what the UN Secretary General calls the "interconnected challenges" of food prices and development.

But the focus of the meeting today was Africa. North Asia correspondent Shane McLeod reports.

SHANE MCLEOD, REPORTER: Aid for Africa was on the G8 agenda today. The heads of the world's largest economies discussed priorities with the leaders of seven African nations and the controversial re-election of Zimbabwe's Robert Mugabe prompted strong language.

GEORGE W. BUSH, US PRESIDENT: You know, I care deeply about the people of Zimbabwe, and I am extremely disappointed in the elections which I labelled a sham election.

SHANE MCLEOD: Japan has already pledged to double its aid spending on the continent. Other G8 powers are being urged to do the same. The summit communiqué will reveal whether they live up to their 2005 promise at the Gleneagles summit in the UK for an extra $25 billion.

MAX LAWSON, OXFAM: We need to see the aid promises back in the communiqué, we need to see clear plans from each of the G8 as how they are going to increase Aid to Africa. This is absolutely vital, it's aid that pays for schools, clinics, life saving drugs. We really must see this money from the G8 and they can't avoid to make those promises met.

SHANE MCLEOD: Japan also has high hopes for a deal on climate change. Last year's summit in Germany produced an agreement for the G8 powers to consider halving carbon dioxide emissions by 2050. Japan's Prime Minister wants that deal finalised at this year's summit, and he has the support of the Europeans who say it's time to put global interests first.

JOSE MANUEL BARROSO, EUROPEAN COMMISSION PRESIDENT: What I'd like world leaders to do is instead of saying "I will do nothing unless you do it first," we change the logic of it. We say "Let's go for it together." And this is exactly the opportunity that Hokkaido gives us.

SHANE MCLEOD: This year's G8 summit is the largest ever staged, with the leaders of 14 extra countries taking part, including Australia's Prime Minister Kevin Rudd. The G8 members are under pressure to show their group still matters, and that on issues from oil prices to food security and the global credit squeeze, it can have an influence.

It's on climate change that there are the greatest hopes for action.

BAN KI-MOON, UN SECRETARY GENERAL: We tend to think of climate change as something in the future. It is not. We see it now most of all in Africa, throughout changing weather patterns.

SHANE MCLEOD: But with the United States signalling that there'll be no meaningful deal without the involvement of China and India, there's little expectation of a significant breakthrough.